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#scienceunderattack

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@jonny this entire thread is amazing, top-notch tool development for a noble cause.
@ #academia : if you feel desperate about the wholesale breakdown of science under the current US administration, consider helping out with #SciOp: Decentralized backups of datasets under threat, in a torrent swarm.

Have a disused laptop or Raspi? Make it part of the swarm and take the data outside the US (or any) administration's grasp!

#ScienceUnderSiege: The Orlando Research Conference Fallout

Something alarming is happening in the #ScientificCommunity, and it’s not getting the attention it deserves. A recent #NIH-backed #neuroscience conference in #Orlando turned into a disaster. Research sessions were canceled after being mistaken for “#DEI” initiatives, and funding was pulled.

One session on the diversity of afferent firing in the cochlea (how nerve cells transmit sound) was targeted because people saw the word “#diversity” and assumed it was political. #MAGA hat-wearing attendees reportedly vandalized posters.

The nescient reaction of the MAGA hat-wearing attendees to the word “diversity”—mistaking a scientific discussion on neural firing patterns in the cochlea for a political agenda—exemplifies a dangerous blend of #ignorance and ideological rigidity. Their inability to differentiate between linguistic context and #partisan buzzwords not only disrupted legitimate research but also underscored the broader issue of anti-intellectualism undermining scientific progress.

Worse, researchers discovered their already earned funding was revoked, postdoc opportunities disappeared, and the conference felt like a #funeral for the field as careers crumbled in real time.

Meanwhile, the NIH was banned from attending due to a new administration-imposed blackout on communications and travel, delaying critical #research on #Cancer, #HeartDisease, and #Diabetes.

#Science depends on open inquiry—but now, #political interference is gutting #research. This isn’t just about one conference. It’s a direct attack on scientific progress. If we don’t stand up now, what’s next?

🔬 Science must remain free from political control.

#ScienceUnderAttack #ResearchMatters #SaveScience #FreedomOfInquiry #ScienceNotPolitics #AcademicFreedom

Präsident #Trump plant massive Kürzungen für die National Science Foundation (#NSF). Das Budget könnte von 9 auf 3 Milliarden Dollar sinken – ein Rückgang um 66 %, der Tausende Jobs kosten könnte. Das könnte katastrophale Folgen für die US-Wissenschaft haben. Ex-NSF-Direktor Neal Lane sieht die amerikanische Führungsrolle in Gefahr, während China profitieren könnte.

arstechnica.com/science/2025/0

#Wissenschaft #Science #USA #WissenschaftInGefahr
#RettetDieForschung
#ScienceUnderAttack

Ars Technica · White House budget proposal could shatter the National Science FoundationBy Eric Berger
Continued thread

3/ In January 2025, a memo from the White House ordered a freeze on all new and pending grants from the NIH, NSF, and other research institutions. Agencies were instructed to halt travel, cancel meetings, and suspend grant reviews, leading to immediate chaos. #ScienceUnderAttack